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Specialist brief 04 · Digital & AI Regulation

Where digital rules are being written, and where the leverage is.

A focused read of digital and AI regulation across the EU, UK, and key international forums. Covers implementing acts, enforcement priorities, and the political dynamics behind the technical detail. Every issue carries the consultations and comment windows that are still open, with their closing dates, because a rule still being drafted can still be changed.

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The Digital Brief, the cover of issue 02

What arrived on Sunday.

Issue 02, sent on Sunday 27th September 2026: the headline, the bottom line, one of the week’s assessments with how likely it is, and the week ahead, quoted as sent. The full issue ran to 25 pages.

An InStone Publication
Issue 02
Sunday 27th September 2026

Digital rules; distilled

UK · EU · US

Europe's data watchdogs have settled how they will size their fines

The bottom line

The European Data Protection Board has agreed a single method for calculating fines, and Ireland's regulator fined Google 403 million euros over location data. Penalties across Europe are likely to become more consistent. The board also adopted final guidelines covering the Digital Services Act and data protection.

From the assessments

National data regulators will work from the board's harmonised method when they set fines, making penalties across Europe more consistent

Likely · 55 to 75%Confidence: Moderate

So what. Cross-border processors should treat one method as the benchmark in every member state. Compliance teams should re-run their penalty exposure on the assumption the numbers move together from now on.

The week ahead

  • 22Dec

    Survey on AI for medicines safety closes

    Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

An excerpt. The full issue is a 25-page PDF: every assessment with its evidence, the outlook, the week on the record, method, caveats and a linked source for every point, sent with a short covering email.

A short email to read, a full report to keep.

  1. 01

    The bottom line: the week's judgement, before the working

  2. 02

    An assessment of each development, with how likely each outcome is

  3. 03

    Where the bills, regulations and consultations we follow now stand

  4. 04

    The week ahead: comment windows on rules still being drafted

  5. 05

    A linked source for every point

Written for

Digital rights NGOs, civil society groups working on AI and data, and government policy staff, alongside the platforms and tech companies inside scope of the rules.

Recent issues covered

  • Europe's harmonised method for setting data protection fines
  • Ireland's 403 million euro fine on Google over location data
  • Age limits for social media in the UK and the EU KIDS Act
  • The Information Commission taking over from the ICO
  • Where AI is and is not being used in justice and public services

Often read alongside it.

All eight specialist briefs

Specialist brief 06 · Financial Services

Regulatory and political signals across UK, EU, and international financial services.

Read about the Financial Brief

Specialist brief 08 · Human Rights & Rule of Law

How rights and rule of law frameworks are moving, and where the pressure points sit.

Read about the Rights Brief

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